John Lloyd - Single Mindedness
/Strengthen Your Core Series
Single Mindedness
October 6, 2019
Pastor John Lloyd
Our physical bodies are made up of several core muscles. If kept in shape through exercise, they will function properly. God’s goal for followers is to make us more like Jesus. This happens when we think like Jesus, CORE beliefs, act like Jesus, CORE practices and be like Jesus, CORE virtues. We need to exercise our CORE in order to glorify God. The journey of becoming like Jesus begins by thinking like Jesus. When we start thinking like Jesus, we are well on our way to becoming like Jesus. Today, we will consider the core action of singlemindedness and setting godly priorities for our lives.
Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Memory Verse: Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Key Idea: I focus on God and His priorities for my life.
Key Question: How do I keep my focus amid distractions?
I. Single ______________________ prioritizes what fills my heart.
Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Jeremiah 2:13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
To be single-minded means to have one desire that trumps all others. One goal. One focus. From the beginning, God made clear that he should be his people’s main focus. But this is challenging in a hectic, fast-paced world. The spiritual practice of singlemindedness is all about determining our priorities to ensure we are practicing our faith, living out our beliefs and accomplishing God’s will for our lives. Frazee
Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Problems come when we worship the wrong the thing)
Single-mindedness is freedom. Duplicity is bondage. Single-mindedness brings joy and balance. Duplicity brings anxiety and fear. Richard Foster
Takeaway:
II. Singlemindedness puts first things ___________.
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (John 8;29-30)
A. God __________________ what He gives.
Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Freedom from anxiety about these things is an inward evidence of seeking the kingdom first)
Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6:32 (Knowing God cares about you)
B. God gives so we can be __________________.
Matthew 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Deuteronomy 8:17 Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ (Ps.62:10, Prov.11:28)
Singlemindedness allows us to genuinely enjoy possessions without destroying us. (Materialism versus asceticism).
I Timothy 6:18They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (I Timothy 6:17)
Takeaway:
III. Singlemindedness lives with an inward attitude of ______________.
2 Chronicles 20:12b For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
No one can deny that our lifestyles today are chaotic and complex. Single-mindedness actually offers simplicity. Our lives can be uncluttered by the Creator and set on a path toward purpose and peace by his grace and mercy. Frazee
Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Colossians 3:17
Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.
Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The practice of single-mindedness is about setting priorities. This involves putting our past decisions and actions behind us and focusing on God’s kingdom with help from the Holy Spirit. The product of a life of single-minded determination and focus is an untouchable peace from the hand of the one true God who loves us deeply. Seek first God’s kingdom! Randy Frazee
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Use a scale of 1-6 to rate how well you are living out the statements below (1 = not living out at all, 6 = living out completely).
___ I desire Jesus Christ to be first in my life.
___ I see every aspect of my life and work as service to God.
___ I spend time each day reading God’s Word and praying.
___ I value a simple lifestyle over one cluttered with activities and material
possessions.
Singlemindedness allows us to enjoy life on earth while preparing well for eternal life in heaven.Try to do one thing each day that will outlive ourselves and last for eternity
Spiritual Growth Questions for October 6, 2019
(Take one question each day and grow deeper in Bible study)
Use a scale of 1-6 to rate how well you are living out the statements below (1 = not living out at all, 6 = living out completely).
___ I desire Jesus Christ to be first in my life.
___ I see every aspect of my life and work as service to God.
___ I spend time each day reading God’s Word and praying.
___ I value a simple lifestyle over one cluttered with activities and material possessions.
1. Read Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Look for what God promised to the Israelites if they obeyed the first commandment and kept their covenant with God.
2. Read Matthew 6:19-24. What kind of treasures keep us from being single-minded? How can unhealthy eyes keep us from being single-minded? Why isn’t it possible to serve two masters?
3. Read 2 Chronicles 20. Identify the key beliefs in which Jehoshaphat anchors his prayer. How can these key beliefs instill confidence and guide our decisions?
4. Read Philippians 3:1-14. Read this passage twice. What does the Apostle Paul do to stay single-minded in his focus? How could this be helpful to you in your walk with God?
5. What does this admonishment mean to you? Does it change how you prioritize things in your life?
6. Which area of your life (relationships, finances, work, family, etc.) is hardest to submit to God’s will and guidance?
7. How have you experienced the benefits of single-mindedness? What action step can you take this week to increase your awareness of God’s involvement in your daily life?
Memory Verse: Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.